Premier Horgan ahead of game

Dear editor: Re: Horgan should debate Wilkinson, Okanagan Weekend, Letters, Sept. 29

Mr. Fibiger seems to feel very strongly that John Horgan should debate Andrew Wilkinson on the merits of electoral reform, even exhorting our premier, to “put his big boy pants on.”

Well, Premier Horgan has not only got his big boy pants on, he’s wearing his smarts. Mr. Fibiger may not know this, but, when you’re ahead of the game, as Premier Horgan is, you don’t give your opponent, Mr. Wilkinson, the opportunity to spread his FUD. (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) around anymore than he is.

Mr. Wilkinson and his anti-electoral reform gang have nothing constructive to add to the discussion.

Their only interest is self-preservation and they will say anything they can, in any way they can, however misleading or false, to keep first past the post, the stacked deck that has allowed them to rule the roost for many years.

To steal from the letter writer’s script, Mr. Wilkinson should put his big boy pants on and face the electorate under proportional representation, the only fair and democratic system. He will find that he has to step up to the plate without the protection of his false majority of 40 per cent of the voters.

We don’t need rancor, divisiveness and one-up-man-ship to be what defines our government, we need cooperation and collaboration, to solve the problems that we face.

Mr. Wilkinson should be welcoming the diversity of opinion and the possibility of cooperation and collaboration that proportional representation offers, not fighting it.

Daryl Sturdy Vancouver